About two decades ago, an American research team observed a striking phenomenon: while a majority of older adults have at least two chronic diseases, some people reach their 80s without major illness. The researchers suspected the key to healthier ageing was genetic. But after sequencing the genomes of 1,400 of these ageing outliers – a … Read more
A good night’s sleep isn’t just about the number of hours you log. Getting quality sleep – the kind that leaves you feeling refreshed and ready for the day – is critical for a healthy brain. People with disturbed sleep, because of something such as insomnia or sleep apnoea, have a higher risk of developing … Read more
Days before she and her husband, actor Gene Hackman, died at their home, Betsy Arakawa repeatedly searched online about flu- and Covid-like symptoms, according to records released on Tuesday by New Mexico authorities. The records – including witness interviews, photographs of the scene and police body camera footage – provided some new insights into the … Read more
A leading Irish geriatrician has called for the addition of the shingles vaccine to the national adult immunisation programme, following the publication of a study showing a 20 per cent reduced risk of developing dementia in older people who received a vaccine for shingles compared to those who didn’t. “Ireland is one of the few … Read more
Anne-Marie Duff has the best laugh – loud, full bodied and infectious. She’s sitting in her kitchen in London in front of a white fridge freezer festooned with the usual domestic ephemera, wearing a pretty black top accessorised with fine gold jewellery. She’s talking, on the video call, about how her Catholicism shaped her growing … Read more
Emma Heming Willis, the primary carer for her husband, the actor Bruce Willis, who is suffering from a rare form of dementia, has issued a statement in the wake of the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. An investigation by local authorities in New Mexico concluded last week that Arakawa (65) died … Read more
BBC Radio presenter Janice Forsyth has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, she has announced. The freelance broadcasting veteran’s career of more than 30 years has included presenting shows on BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Three and Radio Four, as well as setting up a podcasting production firm, the Big Light. In a statement released on Monday, … Read more
A Silent Tsunami: Swimming Against the Tide of my Mother’s Dementia Author: Anthea Rowan ISBN-13: 978-1835010570 Publisher: Bedford Square Publishers Guideline Price: £20 During breakfast in the garden of writer Anthea Rowan’s home in Africa, her elderly mother gestures towards a lemongrass in a pot. “That plant,” she says. “What can I see beneath its … Read more
There may be no cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease, a leading cause of death in most developed countries including Ireland, but 2024 has brought a succession of breakthroughs. They range across drugs reducing rogue proteins in the brain linked to the disease, blood tests enabling rapid and more accurate diagnosis, and growing evidence that specific … Read more